Amon Amarth are back with “Eight Legs Of Thunder,” a new death metal anthem built around Sleipnir, Oden’s legendary eight-legged horse. The track moves with a galloping riff and a chorus made for a crowd to shout back, drawing on Norse mythology while its video takes the story somewhere far removed from the usual Viking imagery.
Directed by Dariusz Szermanowicz, the clip drops the band’s mythology into a rough-edged modern American Western. Cowboys, pickup trucks, and wide-open roads provide the backdrop, while Sleipnir appears in a strange dream sequence.
Szermanowicz explains the thinking behind the video: “With ‘Eight Legs Of Thunder’, together with the band, we wanted to break the traditional metal music video mold once again. We fused the raw, dusty vibe of a modern western with the epic, dark mythology of Oden’s eight-legged steed. It’s a high-octane, cinematic ride packed with cowboy tension, raw action, and a touch of dark humor. We didn’t just want to make a music video-we wanted to deliver a visual knockout.”
“Eight Legs Of Thunder” is the last preview from The Allfather Awakens, due October 2 through Metal Blade Records. The ten-track album opens another chapter for Amon Amarth, while continuing the combination of memorable riffs, melody, and sheer weight that has defined the Swedish band for decades.
Oden remains central to the band’s lyrical and visual world. The Norse “all father” is associated with war, wisdom, death, magic and poetry, and continues to provide Amon Amarth with much of its inspiration. The Allfather Awakens, however, is not a concept record. Instead, it brings together historically inspired stories focused on conflict, sacrifice and the pursuit of something greater.
The new single arrives after Amon Amarth‘s first acoustic release, “Upphaf,” and “Gjallarhorn.” “Upphaf” took a stripped-down approach, while “Gjallarhorn” returned to the band’s familiar heavy attack. Both songs draw on Oden’s mythology, including the story of his sacrifice for knowledge.
According to the ancient tale, Oden removed his own eye and cast it into Mímisbrunnr, the Well of Wisdom, seeking knowledge and foresight beyond mortal understanding. Amon Amarth have turned that story into part of the campaign surrounding the new album, with the message: “Those who received the eye know what must be done. Those who did not: seek it out. Sacrifice your sight. Gain your foresight.”
The writing process for The Allfather Awakens also marked a shift for Amon Amarth. Rather than waiting for a break from touring, the musicians began developing material while they were on the road. Recording took place during two sessions at producer Jacob Hansen‘s studio in Denmark, beginning in spring 2025 and concluding in March 2026.
Guitarist Olavi Mikkonen describes the approach: “We worked on one song at a time and made each song as good as possible. Then we recorded one song at a time until each track was totally finished — drums, guitars, and vocals. Only then did we start on the next one.”
The band also changed its guitar setup, moving away from 5150 amps and returning to Marshalls for a somewhat less modern sound. Amon Amarth write the music before the lyrics, with the finished compositions often determining the direction of the words.
“The Allfather Awakes” was the final song written for the record and supplied the inspiration for its title. Other tracks such as “Eight Legs Of Thunder,” “Kvasir’s Blood” and “Die With A War Cry” continue the album’s historical and mythological focus. The latter features the rallying lines: “Facing destruction / Annihilation / Master your thoughts and mind.” The cover is a portrait of Oden by Tom Thiel, who has previously created seven of the band’s album covers.
More than three decades after forming in Tumba, Sweden, Amon Amarth remain tightly connected as a unit. That sense of loyalty carries through their live shows and recordings, with frontman Johann Hegg delivering the band’s themes through songs such as “We Rule The Waves.”
The track sums up that restless, seafaring spirit: “From cradle until the grave / As long as the sun sets in the west / We rule the waves / Our restless hearts / Have brought us far / As far as Vinland’s shores / We’ve gone further / Than any man has ever gone before.”
Since their 1992 formation, Amon Amarth have built an international following through relentless touring and a catalog that has carried them onto stages with Slayer, Iron Maiden, Slipknot and Pantera. They have also taken over venues including The Forum in Los Angeles and Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver.
Festival appearances have become another major part of the band’s rise. Amon Amarth headlined Wacken Open Air in 2024 before an audience of 85,000 and have twice topped the bill at Bloodstock Open Air in the U.K. They have also played Download four times between 2008 and 2019 and appeared at Summer Breeze eight times from 2003 through 2024, including six headline performances.
The band’s next major North American run will pair them with Dethklok and Castle Rat in 2026. Their growing audience spans generations, from young metal fans to listeners who have followed the band for decades, while the music continues to balance heaviness with an emphasis on uplifting and inspirational themes.
Few examples show Amon Amarth‘s influence more clearly than The Row. The audience tradition of sitting together and miming the motion of rowing a longship is widely traced to the band’s 2009 Bloodstock performance. In 2022, the band turned that tradition into a song with “Put Your Back Into The Oar.” Hegg explained: “we thought it was a good idea to write a song about The Row! This one is for you, the fans, wherever you are–and may Oden guide you as you row to your destiny in uncharted seas!”
The ritual has since appeared at other artists’ shows and major events, including audiences at the 2026 World Cup. Footage from the original performances, however, points back to Amon Amarth fans as the source of the now-familiar spectacle.
With The Allfather Awakens, Amon Amarth are pushing their sound forward while keeping the elements that have carried them through more than 30 years: heavy guitars, melodic hooks, historical storytelling and a live identity built around their audience.
The album will make its way onto the stage this autumn, when the band launches a new production inspired by Oden’s legendary Golden Hall. The result is set to extend the world of The Allfather Awakens into a new Amon Amarth live show.
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